No
by watchitstark
Summary: This wasn't how it was supposed to go; Voldemort's death was supposed to be the end. Major character death, serious angst. HG/MM


"No! No!" Hermione fought her way to the front of the crowd, staring down at her body on the floor, feeling time slow and tears spring to her eyes. "MINERVA!" she screamed, shaking. She pushed and shoved, not paying attention to the arms that caught onto her, the people who tried to hold her back, not even considering the danger that she was placing herself in as she ran out into the no man's land between the two crowds, as she joined her teacher on the floor, sobbing and pressing her hands against the wound that was rapidly leaking blood into the ground all around her.

"You can't die, you can't," she murmured weakly, beaded bag in her hand, dittany zooming into her palm, shaking as she sprinkled drops onto the curse wound, where it did nothing more than smoke uselessly. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?" she screamed at the assembled Death Eaters, not even listening as a nameless wizard or two laughed at her panic; they knew there was nothing she could do.

"It was supposed to be over, Voldemort's death was supposed to be the end, we were supposed to be safe, I had time, I meant to tell you," she sobbed, tears streaming down her face as she held on tight to her former professor's hand.

"Hermione, get back to safety," she managed, emerald green eyes fluttering open to lock onto brown. "Don't waste your life over this."

"Harry and the others have put up a shield charm, we have time," she said softly, tears still steadily dripping onto the prone body of her former mentor.

"If only that were true," she smiled and her laugh turned to a sharp cough.

"Minerva," she said quietly, so much longing and emotion present in her voice, so much that the older woman wished that she had never had to hear.

"I was going to tell you, it was going to be romantic," she wheezed, breath catching in her throat on every inhale, just managing to keep from wincing at the pain she felt throughout her body. "It just never seemed like the right time. I meant to tell you that I love you, and I have loved you for quite some time."

Hermione was sobbing, her head bent close over the older woman's so as to hear her words, her pain clear on her face. "I was going to say that, that's what I meant to tell you," she shook her head at the ridiculousness of it, at the fact that they had somehow squandered all the time that they could have spent together, that they had wasted it thinking about what other people would think, worrying over the fact that it wasn't appropriate. "You can't die now, not after we've wasted so much time," she whispered. "You can't die now that I know, now that we know how each other feels."

"I don't get to choose when I die, no one does. Maybe it's time," she sighed, and thought about the three wars she had survived through just to fall to a wayward curse while catching up with some Death Eaters.

"No," Hermione said fiercely, glaring at the older woman through her tears. "You will not die, not now."

"Hermione," she sighed, and coughed harder, her body slumping back onto the ground, the blood still pumping steadily onto the ground through the younger woman's fingers.

"No," she said again, but it was weaker, just like the woman that she was holding onto for dear life, as though if she stopped holding on she would lose her.

"I want you to promise me that you won't mourn me for very long."

"What, no, I," she looked bewildered and lost, and Minerva wished that she could smooth away the brunette's pain.

"No, shh," she sighed again; everything hurt and her vision was fuzzy, she was losing her grip. "I need you to carry on. That is my last request."

"It's not your last request because I'm not losing you, I'm not."

"Also, my second to last request is please, would you kiss me?"

"Yes, anything for you, a thousand times over," she whispered and leant over her, kissing her gently but firmly, trying to convey the depth of her emotion, trying to convey the depth of her sorrow.

"Hermione the barrier's breaking! Can you get her out of here?!" Harry yelled, looking concernedly at his friend.

"Go," Minerva murmured, pushing her away.

"I can't."

"Go." She said more firmly, pushing her away with the last of her strength, looking at Harry, nodding at him to take the brunette and get out of here.

"One day I'll see you again," she promised, and closed her eyes as spells made their way overheard, and she heard the distinct sounds of people Disapparating away as the last of her life was pumped from her overworking heart onto the muddy ground, and her world grew steadily hazier, until she knew no more.


End file.
